Legal Definitions - biological warfare

Definition: Biological warfare is the use of biological or infectious agents in war, usually by delivering them via airplanes or ballistic missiles.

Example: During World War II, Japan used biological warfare by dropping fleas infected with bubonic plague over Chinese cities.

This example illustrates the definition of biological warfare by showing how a country used infectious agents as a weapon during a war.

Related Terms:

• Warfare: The act of engaging in war or military conflict.
• Economic Warfare: A hostile relationship between two or more countries in which at least one tries to damage the other's economy for economic, political, or military ends.
• Guerrilla Warfare: Hostilities that are conducted by individuals or small groups who are usually not part of an organized army and who fight by means of surprise attacks, ambushes, and sabotage.
• Land Warfare: Hostilities conducted on the ground, as opposed to at sea or in the air.